Your Oral Health….
And the link to your general health….
Here at Abbey Road Dental, our focus is on ensuring patients have healthy teeth and gums; but we also play a part in the general health of our patients too.
Many people don’t realise that a healthy, happy smile is directly connected to the general health of their body. You may not realise, but oral health is an essential part of overall body health, all the way through your life.
Your mouth plays a key role in ensuring you get the nutrition you need, but along with your smile, helps us to talk to people, to express ourselves and to feel good about ourselves as well.
Oral health is also a key indicator of health in other parts of our body and you can see clear signals in the mouth that infections or issues may be present elsewhere. Certain ulcers can suggest certain inflammatory bowel issues whereas pale gums can be a sign of issues with the blood. A lack of dental care in the elderly may the first sign of dementia and even the smell of the breath can be an indicator of issues like kidney disease. There are many signs and indications of general health available to your Abbey Road dental team when they examine your mouth.
Your oral health may also affect your general health. Although no direct links between gum disease and health conditions have been proven, it is thought that there are some links between heart disease and diabetes which come as part of a larger group of risk factors. So gum disease may form part of a group of risks which come together to exacerbate conditions like heart disease.
Prevention Is Always Better Than Cure
Maintaining good general *and* oral health means that you’re working to prevent any health issues occurring. Prevention is always easier than cure and the basic ingredients for keeping well aren’t expensive to obtain or particularly time consuming; so they are accessible to all of us. To stay healthy we should be:
● Moving more (half an hour a day ideally)
● Eating a balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, healthy fats, healthy carbohydrates and proteins
● Avoiding drinking alcohol excessively
● Avoiding smoking completely
● Working to keep stress levels as low as possible
NHS Livewell is an excellent resource for health, and learning about healthy guidelines.
With your oral health, day to day maintenance is important and will help to protect you against tooth decay, oral diseases and issues. Brushing twice for two minutes each time and with the right technique, toothbrush and paste will all contribute to keeping your mouth healthy. Along with regular checkups at our NW8 clinic, and maintaining great general health, you’re doing just the right things to keep many diseases, risk factors and conditions at bay.
Regular Checkups Ensure You Can Keep On Top Of Your Health
Checkups are so important because they enable your dentist to check for early signs of all kinds of conditions. Dentists can sometimes spot unusual symptoms which indicate an issue with your general health, and some general health issues you may mention to us may be linked to your oral health. We can refer you elsewhere for more diagnostics and treatment if anything is found that is out of our range of expertise, or treat any oral issues early. Checkups allow early detection and are essential to assist prevention.
Please call us on 02076241603 and we will be delighted to book a checkup at a time convenient to you. We’re here to help you maintain the best possible oral health so you can enjoy a happy, healthy smile for life!